Seasonal Affective Disorder

usmcmp

The time has come for many of us who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). I know for me it will kick in shortly after Thanksgiving and last through Easter. This year I am going to try to stay ahead of and hopefully end the season without needing medication. This year I will increase carbs, continue working out hard and try light therapy (or even indoor tanning).

For those of you that suffer what are some of the ways you help reduce the effects of SAD?

jackpotclown

I've found tanning to be somewhat helpful.....obviously getting to the gym and pushing through the depressive and annoying feeling is key.....it's never 100% effective, but if you can basically keep yourself busy and have something to strive for (goals, etc), it definitely helps \m/

JustAnotherGirlSuzanne

I don't have seasonal affective disorder too badly, all I get is really tired and drained by the end of the day.

I work at home (which is currently a basement apartment to make things worse) and I find this really helps:

http://www.verilux.com/light-therapy-lamps/happylight-light-therapy/

kcvance

The worst parts of the year for me are September and March, right around the equinoxes. I live in Arizona, so I try to get outside as much as possible to enjoy all the nice sunlight now that it's not 115 outside. I have a happy light at home and at work, and I try to exercise every day. I had a really rough time last year, so this year my doctor has me trying Sam-e, and it seems to be helping.

I had never thought of indoor tanning - going to research that a bit. :-)

Lizzy622

Thought I had SAD but a visit to the doctor and a blood test showed I was deficient in vitamin D. Extra D in the winter does wonders.

AllonsYtotheTardis

I was surprised at what a difference running made in my management of SAD. Getting outside for as much sun as I can (what little there is) also helps.

TeachTheGirl

I'll be starting Vitamin D pills again.

I can already feel the urge to eat everything and do nothing setting in...

Miss_Meliss86

I have a family member who struggles with this, and he said that while the expense at the time seemed to be a lot, the light therapy really helped and he finds it much easier to manage by using it daily throughout the winter months.

I've heard very good things about tanning too.

Generally speaking, when I was really struggling with my own generalized depression, making a point to plan out my day the night before helped to get me out of bed the next day...knowing I had things to do/people to see helped to get me out of bed. Not sure if it's applicable in your situation, but figured I'd throw it out there

And know that you have your friends on here to help too!!! :flowerforyou:

ironanimal

I'll be starting Vitamin D pills again.

I can already feel the urge to eat everything and do nothing setting in...

My life 10 months of the year.

Summer I can't sit still.

danger_kitteh

I take Vit D year round but will be increasing my dosage and starting light therapy at the end of the month. I have this Litebook http://www.amazon.com/Litebook-Elite-Hand-Held-Therapy-Device/dp/B000P0LLNU/ref=sr_1_19?ie=UTF8&qid=1382115235&sr=8-19&keywords=lite+box+therapy

I get SAD pretty bad this past decade. I'm blaming Canada (moved here 11 years ago). While I'm not really any higher latitude wise from where I lived in Michigan, I find the winters more grey, colder and longer here. Litebook, VitD, B12, exercise and as much time outside as I can have really helped the past 3-4 winters.

opalescence

bump, would like to see what others recommend.

I wish I could do indoor tanning, after the doc removed several places of "concern" I'm not supposed to ever get in one again. (for the record I practically lived in tanning beds from the ages of 14-16) I'm going to miss my summer tan that I've worked so hard on :sad:

I have a prescription for Vitamin D so I'll probably do that again this year. I think it helped a little.

So_Much_Fab

I had this for years but somehow it's gone away...not sure why. I was seriously looking into light therapy at a point.

bluesmaven1

Vitamin D-3 and lots of it. Do a search on the symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency and you should be surprised at what you find.

usmcmp

Things that I noticed helped me last year:

1. Keeping a fairly strict routine. I'm more likely to make it to the gym and get the chores done if it is scheduled.
2. Planning my food in advance. Making sure my calorie and macro goals are hit and I'm getting filling foods.
3. Avoiding retail therapy. Buying things makes me happy, seeing the damage does not.
4. Fruit smooties and red meat. Good carbs and yummy fat.
5. Exercise. Heavy compound lifts increase testosterone and improve my mood.

No_Finish_Line

hmm, suprised that i was not aware of SAD. i don't think it applies to me, but i do periodically get depressed.

In that past this would cause me to stop training. even then i saw exercise as stress relieving, but if i was feeling bad enough, i wouldn't want to go to the gym.

Now, i guess its really sunken in how beneficial exercise is psychologically, that even when i'm feeling that crappy... its pretty easy for me to rationalize my way into the work out and that helps me stay on track. that in turn helps prevent the depression from draggin on i believe

KANGOOJUMPS

those lights really work well,

californiabella

I'm glad you made a topic regarding SAD. I thought I was alone! Even though it's still sunny here in Southern California at the moment, I started feeling the effects of Fall about two weeks ago when we had two weeks of cold and rain. Couldn't figure out why I was so unmotivated and overwhelmed when just a few weeks before I was up and about.. exercising regularly and eating healthy, basically feeling wonderful!

I agree with the others about absorbing as much sunlight as you possibly can. I'm also thinking of setting a lamp on a timer to get me up and going in the morning.

WJS_jeepster

I do therapy lights every morning starting in October. I generally do ok until January. Christmas is over, but 3+ more months of short winter days in Minnesota is just awful.

I also started taking a low dose antidepressant when I was first diagnosed. It helped a little with motivation and getting out of bed, but not with the carb cravings.

When I was running outside at lunchtime every day all winter, that was the most helpful. Unfortunately my schedule no longer allows running in the middle of the day. One year I rigged a light box to shine over my treadmill and that worked ok.

Even though I crave carbs like nobody's business, I don't think they make you feel any better for more than the minute they are in your mouth. I actually try to tilt my diet to more protein to avoid crashes which make the whole thing even worse.

Finally, my main weird symptom of depression (seasonal or otherwise) is a complete inability to make decisions. The smaller and less important the decision, the more paralyzing. To deal with that, I set up a pretty rigid routine in the winter to avoid being stymied by having to make a decision. I take as much decision-making as I can off my plate.

AbsyPernet

I take Vitamin D during the winter months to help with SAD, keeping up with exercising and eating well does help with reducing the symptoms.

MWKnepper

My husband struggles with this. As his wife.. what can I do to be helpful?

odusgolp

bump